Wow, such a milestone for the Bible App and YouVersion.
And I am more than honoured to be part of this eternal mission for more than 8 years now 🙌🙏❤
#God #youversion #bibleapp #lifechurch #faith #bible #fyp #servewithus
https://blog.youversion.com/2023/07/lets-celebrate-15-years-of-the-bible-app/
The One Word Process
Set
Despite all of the hype, we still love the fact that the New Year can be an opportunity to wipe the slate clean and start over. We are free to finally lose that 10 pounds, commit to daily devotions, win more games, train harder, pray more faithfully, spend more time with family, pay off bills, raise grades or even share Jesus Christ with more teammates and friends. But the reality is that those long lists of resolutions rarely become a reality.
One solution is to strip it all away and boil it down to one key word for the upcoming year, making it basic and simple.
So, let’s get to the practical side of the One Word theme concept. Here are steps to help you discover your One Word theme. Keep in mind that the process takes time, but it is worth it. Whether you are an athlete, coach, parent or business leader, this process can facilitate breakthrough for you in every area of your life.
The One Word process has three simple steps – Look In, Look Up, and Look Out.
Step 1 – Prepare Your Heart (Look In) – This is where you take action to unplug from the hectic pace, noise and clutter. Finding solitude and silence can be a difficult task, but to hear from God is essential. As we let God examine our heart, He will give us clarity.
Step 2 – Discover Your Word (Look Up) – This step helps us plug in and listen to God. Taking time for prayer—that simple conversation with God—is the place to start. Ask Him this question: What do you want to do in me and through me this year? This question will help you discover the word meant for you. Don’t pick a good word; receive a God-word.
Step 3 – Live Your Word (Look Out) – Once you discover the word that is meant for you, it’s time to live it out. Your word will have impact in all areas of your life: physical, mental, spiritual, emotional, relational and even financial. Keep your one word front and center. Tell your accountability partners and your family your word for the year. Write it in your journal. Post it on your refrigerator. Talk about it with your family at the dinner table. Do whatever it takes to keep it in focus and keep it fresh.
We pray that this year is a breakthrough year for you as the Lord takes you to the next level and uses your One Word to bring Him glory!
Go
1. What is God saying to you now about your One Word theme?
2. Commit some serious time to praying and asking God to speak to you.
3. Go through the three steps and let God reveal the word meant for you.
Workout
Psalm 27:4; Psalm 84
Overtime
“Lord, I pray for a breakthrough year. Use this One Word theme to bring You glory. Stretch me through this process. Reveal to me truth and revelation. Please make it plain to me. Speak, Lord, Your servant is listening. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
From my daily reading plan with Bible App – One Word That Will Change Your Life – A 4-day devotional (day 3)
An Old Man’s Prayer
– Dave Brannon
Have you heard the story about the 85-year-old man who was arrested for praying?
You probably have. That’s the story of Daniel, an elderly Jewish resident in Babylon sentenced to death for faithfully talking to God (Dan. 6).
Although the prayer that sent Daniel to the lions’ den is his most famous talk with God (6:11), it wasn’t the only time we see him in prayer.
In Daniel 9, we read an example of how he prayed. Daniel had been reading in his scroll of Jeremiah that the captivity of his people would last 70 years, and the people were 67 years into the exile (Jer. 25:8-11). He was eager for it to end.
God had called His people to live righteously, but they weren’t doing that. Daniel decided to live righteously despite their lack of faith. He began to pray that God would not delay the end of the captivity.
As he prayed, Daniel focused on worship and confession. His pattern of prayer gives us an important insight into talking to God. We are to recognize that God is “great and awesome” (v.4) and that “we have sinned” (v.15). In prayer, we praise and confess.
Let’s follow Daniel’s lead. To him, prayer was as vital as life itself.
What privilege is mine to come
Before the Father’s throne,
To speak to Him in earnest prayer,
Make all my wishes known.
—Sherbert
No one stands as tall as a Christian on his knees
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From my daily reading plan with Bible App, Our Daily Bread – 30-day edition (day 2)
Sometimes, the reason we lack intimacy with God is that we’re in hiding. We might be hiding because of sin in our lives that we don’t want to give up. Often, we’re hiding because of a distance we’ve allowed as a result of something difficult we’re experiencing. We allow distance because we’re questioning God’s love, his goodness, or his trustworthiness with our important something or someone.
A song called “Out of Hiding” by Steffany Frizzell-Gretzinger was meaningful to me during a hard time I had recently. It’s a great reminder of God’s love, his goodness, and his safety.
Here are a few verses that particularly stood out to me:
Come out of hiding
You’re safe here with Me
There’s no need to cover
What I already see
You’ve got your reasons
But I hold your peace
You’ve been on lockdown
And I hold the key
. . .
And oh as you run
What hindered love
Will only become
Part of the story
Debbie Causey
North Point Community Church
From my daily reading plan by Bible App – STAY FIT: Strengthening Your Connection To Jesus (day 27)
A few months ago, as I was reading through 1 Corinthians, I came to chapter 13. I could almost quote it. I thought I would read it and move on to the next chapter. But for some reason, I decided to write it out—word for word. I felt God impressing me to go slow and take it in. He had something for me. As I wrote it, a phrase took root in my heart: “It keeps no record of wrongs.”
I told God I wasn’t harboring unforgiveness. But you don’t forget, he impressed. “That’s wisdom,” I argued. You don’t forget, he repeated. “I move on.” You don’t forget. He was right. I didn’t forget.
I told myself it wasn’t mean-spirited. I just forgave and moved on. But this passage was telling me I should keep no record. And I realized I had a small list of a few people in my heart. When I worked with them or sat down across the dinner table from them, I had a small list. I remembered. I was cautious in my interactions with them. I had a list. I was so convicted. God was right! I was keeping a record.
I decided that day that everyone was going to receive a clean slate from me. Every interaction, every opportunity, every meeting, every conversation would be a chance to start fresh. I made a list of the people in my life and asked God to help me erase the records I was keeping. I’m sure it won’t be easy, but I’m determined to listen to God’s nudge to wipe those slates clean.
Where are you keeping a record? Who needs a clean slate with you? What would happen if you truly loved those around you and kept no record of wrongs?
Kendra Fleming
North Point Ministries
From my daily Reading plan with Bible App – STAY FIT: Strengthening Your Connection To Jesus (day 26)
I am frequently asked what has made the greatest difference in my grief recovery…and I love to share what God has done in my life. I am so grateful to Him for lifting me out of my grief and giving me firm place to stand so I can tell others about His great love.
These are my Top 5 things (other than family and friends) that tremendously helped me through deep grief. I hope these are an encouragement to you today…and I hope you will come up with a Top 5 list for yourself so you can share God’s love and healing with others.
1. God. He was there for me through the sleepless nights, showed me scriptures that infused me with hope, became my brightest joy and comfort as well as my best friend, collected every tear I cried and wrote each heartache in His book, tattooed my name on His hands, and gave me a beautiful life purpose. He is ALWAYS there for me 24/7.
2. Journaling. When my pain was too heavy and deep to speak, or I couldn’t vocalize my thoughts, I could always write them in my journal. Some of my journal writings, the scriptures God showed me, and 10 of my journal prayers were what formed my book, Getting Your Breath Back After Life Knocks It Out of You. If you are going through grief, journaling helps so much, especially since your memory will fail you in times of grief.
3. Gratefulness. Finding 5 things each and every day to be grateful for eventually put life back in perspective for me. As I cultivated a grateful heart, I was able to live life fuller, with much more meaning. Little things became big things. Things/people I once took for granted, became much more important. I became so grateful for the people who were still in my life and thankful for simple joys in life. Nature. Music. Family. Friends. A great cup of tea or coffee. Love. Health. Hugs. A relaxing dinner out. An ice cream cone. Birthdays of loved ones. Holidays. The ocean. Sunshine. Rainy days. Grief taught me to never take anyone or anything for granted. Taking the time to focus on what I still had in life, more than who and what I had lost, dramatically helped me through grief.
4. Celebrating. Celebrating my loved one’s lives–whether they are still living or deceased–has been an incredible experience. So many times in grief, people faultily think the goal is to “get over” a loved one…and sometimes, people become so deep in grief, they forget to still love and invest in their living loved one’s lives. I celebrate all of them. My sister loved baking…so in her honor and memory, I celebrate her memory by baking treats and giving them to people who I know need encouragement. I honor my loved one’s who are in heaven by celebrating my time I had with them by enjoying things they once loved to do while on earth and I celebrate my loved one’s who are living by loving them well while I still have them here to enjoy and love. Each and every day is worth living and celebrating…and so are loved ones! Celebrating life with God and the friendship He offers is the best of all!
5. My life purpose. Going through so many deaths and trials molded my heart to have the ability to help others through grief. With each heartache I experienced, my life purpose and the amount of people I would be able to minister to grew. I truly enjoy helping people through my grief ministry. To see someone who is incredibly downcast find God and life again is priceless. If you have, or are, experiencing grief, God is going to use you to be an absolute jewel to someone who is going through a similar situation. Seek God to find your life purpose. Two awesome resources that can help you find your life purpose are: The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren and LifeChurch’s Chazown by Craig Groeschel. You can find great life-changing resources through these websites: http://www.purposedriven.com and http://www.Chazown.com Once someone finds their life purpose, life will never be viewed the same.
From my daily Reading plan with Bible App – Grief Bites: A New Approach to Growing Through Grief (day 56)